Kenneth Faried shoots over Jeff Withey of the New Orleans Pelicans in a game at Pepsi Center last season. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Nuggets may have finished with their worst record (36-46) in a decade and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003, but they did rank in the top 10 among NBA teams in one notable category: profitability.

According to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who acquired and verified an official memo the league sent out to all 30 teams in June, the Nuggets benefited nicely from the league’s revenue-sharing to rank No. 8 among teams in projected profitability for 2013-14, despite an otherwise forgettable season. An exact figure was not mentioned in the report.

Below are the top teams ranked in order projected profitability, followed by others mentioned in Lowe’s report:

And yes, you read that last one correctly: The Nets didn’t just lose an eye-popping $144 million while watching their coach (allegedly) make an embarrassing and failed attempt to gain more power. They lost $131 million more than any team in the league.

Check out Lowe’s full post to read the bizarre and baffling details on Jason Kidd’s request and the Nets’ financial situation. It may almost make you grateful for a 36-46 season.

Says it all. Not top ten in any actual basketball category. Nugz seem mostly like a biz run by suits for fans that mostly don’t get it. Depressing for knowledgeable hoops fans here that have seen it done personally in mid level markets before.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.